Colombo: Sonal Dinusha’s fighting knock, along with Pasindu Sooriyabandara’s fluent innings, guided Sri Lanka’s determined fightback as they finished Day 3 on 265/8, However, the hosts still faced a daunting deficit, remaining 38 runs short of avoiding the follow-on in the second and final Test of the two-match series at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, on Tuesday, August 25.
Sri Lanka’s batting resistance, led by Sonal Dinusha’s stubborn unbeaten 85 and Pasindu Sooriyabandara’s valuable 80, prevented India from bowling them out on Day 3. India claimed eight wickets, with Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar continuing their impressive spells and taking crucial wickets. Before the stumps, Sri Lanka managed 265/8 in 83.4 overs as rain and bad light brought the match to an early close, with the hosts still 38 runs short of avoiding the follow-on and trailing by 238 runs.
Sri Lanka began Day 3 at 8/2, under massive pressure, and suffered an early setback when Kamil Mishara was dismissed by Prasidh Krishna for 19 off 25 balls. However, Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis steadied the innings and gradually found momentum as they stitched together a crucial 87-run partnership off 126 balls for the fourth wicket. Pasindu Sooriyabandara showed excellent control, patience and composure throughout his innings. Playing only his second Test after making his debut in the first Test of the series, he successfully brought up his maiden Test fifty off 76 balls. At the other end, Mendis provided valuable support and displayed attacking intent, including hitting Suthar for a six, before scoring 32 off 58 balls. The crucial partnership was broken just before lunch when Prasidh Krishna dismissed Mendis. Attempting to pull a short delivery, Mendis hit the ball straight to Jadeja at mid-wicket, who took the catch safely. Sri Lanka went into lunch at 122/4. After the lunch break, Sri Lanka suffered another setback when Manav Suthar dismissed captain Dhananjaya de Silva for just 8 off 14 balls, with the batter edging the delivery through to KL Rahul, who completed the catch safely. Sonal Dinusha then joined Pasindu Sooriyabandara, and the pair added a valuable 34 runs together before Sooriyabandara’s fluent innings came to an end. Jadeja provided the breakthrough, dismissing him after he scored a well-made 80 off 133 balls, including nine boundaries. But Sonal Dinusha once again produced superb lower-order resistance and continued his outstanding form. He first added a valuable 57-run partnership with Keshara Nuwantha for the eighth wicket before Nuwantha contributed 18 off 74 balls and was dismissed by Manav Suthar. Dinusha then added another valuable 35-run partnership with Lahiru Kumara, who remained unbeaten on 8 off 50 balls. The left-hander registered his third consecutive score above 50 in his last three innings. Showing maturity, composure and excellent control, he handled both spin and pace beautifully, providing much-needed resistance and playing a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s innings. He remained unbeaten on a determined 85 off 137 balls, with six boundaries. With this innings, Sonal Dinusha entered an elite group of batters, becoming only the third player to score 80 or more in each of his first three Test innings against India, joining West Indies great Everton Weekes and Pakistan legend Zaheer Abbas.
The 25-year-old left-hander had already scored 100 and 84 in his first two Test innings against India, and his latest effort made him the first batter since Abbas in 1978 to achieve this remarkable feat. Abbas scored 176, 96 and 235 not out in his first three innings against India, while Weekes made 128, 194 and 162 in 1948. Weekes went on to score centuries in each of his first four innings against India before being dismissed for 90 in his fifth.
With that, Sri Lanka finished Day 3 on 265/8 as rain and bad light brought the match to an early close. With two wickets still in hand, the hosts trail by 238 runs and need another 38 runs to avoid the follow-on. Prasidh Krishna and Manav Suthar led India’s bowling effort with three wickets apiece, while Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj chipped in with one wicket each. For Day 4, Sri Lanka will hope their unbeaten pair can build on their partnership and guide the team towards a more substantial total, while India will be eager to claim the final two wickets early and further strengthen their position in the match.
